Skip to main content

A man just got rescued from a toilet tank after trying to retrieve a friend’s smartphone

smartphone rescue goes wrong stuck in toilet tank
Drammen Regional Fire Department
If you’re going to accidentally drop your smartphone into a toilet, you really don’t want it to be one of those old-fashioned outhouse types with a large tank beneath that only gets emptied a few times a year.

But that’s exactly what happened to Cato Berntsen Larsen’s friend in Norway recently, leaving the poor fella staring hopelessly into the darkness of a filthy, stinking pit wondering if he’d ever see his mobile device again.

Cato, seemingly intent on taking the definition of “true friend” to a whole new level, kindly volunteered to enter the smelly void to see if he could get his buddy’s phone back. Apparently, the pair concluded that Cato was the slimmer of the two, so would more easily squeeze through the hole of the toilet bowl.

So, in a scene presumably reminiscent of that memorable moment in Trainspotting, into the festering tank of rotting human discharge Cato went. Trouble was, he couldn’t get out again.

“I was obviously slim enough to get into it, but not slim enough to get out,” Cato told local news outlet VG.

The tank, which according to the BBC is emptied only four times a year, was reportedly “thigh deep” in excreta. And as if the situation couldn’t get any worse for Cato, the stench was so vile it caused him to throw up.

After an hour of stomping about in the filth, firefighters rescued the 20-year-old Norwegian by cutting away the entire toilet bowl and hauling him out. He was then taken to hospital and put on a course of antibiotics.

stuck in toilet tank 2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

“It was disgusting as hell, the worst thing I have ever experienced,” Cato said later. “Animals were down there too … now my body hurts.”

Clearly a master of understatement, Cato described the experience in the tank as “very unpleasant,” adding rather sensibly that he will “never enter a toilet again.”

Oh, and as for the phone, Cato couldn’t find it. Just hope his friend didn’t kick up a stink about it.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Huawei’s gorgeous Pura 70 phones just got expanded availability
Huawei Pura 70 pink, green, white, and black colors.

Huawei Pura 70 Huawei

After being announced for China in mid-April, the Huawei Pura 70 series is now confirmed for the EU market. Those in the European market can expect to preorder the Pura 70, Pura 70 Pro, and the top-tier Pura 70 Ultra starting May 2 for 999 euros, 1,199 euros, and 1,499 euros, respectively. This pricing is in line with what we saw in China, with the Ultra coming in at 9,999 yuan ($1,400) and the base Pura 70 at 5,499 yuan ($760).

Read more
The Honor Magic 6 RSR is my new favorite Android phone of 2024
Someone holding the Honor Magic 6 RSR outside.

There's no doubt that 2024 has already been an exciting year for Android phones. Samsung wowed us with the Galaxy S24 series at the beginning of the year, the OnePlus 12 and 12R are two of the best phones available right now, and Google is expected to impress later this month with the Google Pixel 8a.

But for the last few weeks, I haven't been thinking about any of those phones. Why? Because I've been using the Honor Magic 6 RSR. After launching in China this past March, the Magic 6 RSR is now available in the EU, and that's allowed more folks than ever to get their hands on the phone. And that's great, because the Honor Magic 6 RSR has quickly become my new favorite Android phone of 2024.
It has some of 2024's best smartphone hardware

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
A Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus laying on concrete.

Looking to upgrade your phone this year? You may be considering Samsung’s new Galaxy S24 Plus, which is the middle child of the S24 lineup. Given how solid the S24 Plus is, that's not a bad idea at all.

But is the Galaxy S24 Plus the best phone you can get? Maybe not, as there are plenty of other great choices that you can choose from as well. Here are some of the best alternatives to the Galaxy S24 Plus that you should take a look at before spending your hard-earned dollars.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Read more